It seems somewhat odd that I would be talking about a hippie craft book for children on a gothic website, but I was wandering through my library the other day and it caught my eye. Making Things by Ann Wiseman was a very special book to me when I was young.
My mother and grandmother are both very crafting centric. As a child I was taught sewing, beading, crocheting, knitting, needle craft and many more esoteric crafting skills and loved them. But in all that learning, I never really made them my own. I feared venturing from the pattern or the specific rules of every craft, a fact that limited my creativity.
Then, one summer day at the library I found a copy of Making Things. The book is a craft book, but it is also a book about exploring everyday objects and making them your own. I worked my way through the book, taking all the very natural, eco-centric crafts and learning the skills, which I evolved through the years.
The biggest thing that I gained from this book was my attitude toward crafting. I learned that don't be afraid to experiment and make mistakes. (I've made clothing and decorative items that were total duds.) I learned the value of handmade things... even if they are not exciting to others, they are special to you. I used the skills to keep myself well clothed in the years when I couldn't find the styles of clothing I wanted in Ohio, much less have the funds to pay for them.
Inspiration is a wonderful, odd beast; you find it in the strangest places and it can carry you through. What inspires you to create?
